Back
Great Alpine Road: Bright to Omeo, Alpine National Park, Victoria
Photo: Lauri Väin · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Drives Victoria, Australia The Victorian High Country

Great Alpine Road: Bright to Omeo

Great Alpine Road, B500 · Bright → Omeo

Twisty68 mi2 hr 15 min7,900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 6,000 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

The Great Alpine Road runs 304 km from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale. This drive takes its high-country middle: 109 km (68 mi) from Bright, up the Ovens valley through Harrietville, over the Alps beside Mount Hotham, to Omeo. The road climbs about 7,900 feet in all and reaches a high point near 6,000 feet.

Harrietville is a former gold town 27 km south of Bright. The Hotham section reaches about 1,840 m, which makes the road, as Wikipedia puts it, Australia's highest year-round accessible sealed road. Mount Hotham is a ski resort, and the road then drops toward Omeo, a gold town at 685 m.

Most of the road was unsealed for much of its history; the last 12 km, between Dinner Plain and Horsehair Plain, were sealed in 1997 and 1998. Today it is a sealed road with climbs, switchbacks and long mountain views.

Along the way

  1. Bright (Great Alpine Road)
  2. Harrietville
  3. Hotham Heights
  4. Omeo (Great Alpine Road)
Elevation
7,900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 6,000 ft
BrightOmeo
Curves
Mostly moderate, with two twisty stretches
BrightOmeo
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Between Harrietville and Omeo, vehicles must carry diamond-pattern wheel chains during the declared snow season, roughly June to early October, and fit them when directed. Chains can be hired in Harrietville and Omeo.
  • Snow is cleared daily on the Hotham section, but extreme weather can still close the road between Harrietville and Omeo.
  • A Mount Hotham resort entry permit applies to winter visitors who stop at the resort; check Alpine Resorts Victoria for how it applies if you are driving through.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check VicTraffic.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Great Alpine Road from Bright to Omeo take?

The Great Alpine Road from Bright to Omeo is 109 km (68 mi) and takes about 2 hr 15 min without stops.

Do you need snow chains on the Great Alpine Road?

Yes, between Harrietville and Omeo all vehicles must carry diamond-pattern chains during the declared snow season, roughly June to early October. Chains can be hired in Harrietville and Omeo.

Is the Great Alpine Road open in winter?

Usually yes. It is Australia's highest year-round accessible sealed road, with snow cleared daily on the Hotham section, but extreme weather can close it, so check VicTraffic.

Is there a fee to drive past Mount Hotham?

A resort entry permit applies to winter visitors who stop at Mount Hotham, and parking requires it. Check Alpine Resorts Victoria for how it applies to through traffic.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 19 drives in Victoria, Australia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Great Alpine Road: Bright to Omeo, from Bright to Omeo